SATURDAY 13 JANUARY 2018 21 I am proud of my players SPORT as they have played Qatar coach TODAY’S QNB Stars League Round 12 Felix Sanchez against two strong after they beat Oman 1-0 in ACTION 4.20pm: Al Rayyan vs Al Khor at Al Sadd Stadium teams so far and have their second AFC U-23 6.30pm: Al Sadd vs Al Markhiya at Al Sadd Stadium performed well. Asian Cup match yesterday 6.30pm: Qatar SC vs Al Duhail at Qatar SC Stadium Roger Federer AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2018 of Switzerland hits a return T OP MEN’S CONTENDERS during a tennis training session ahead of the ROGER FEDERER (SWITZERLAND) Australian Open in World ranking: 2 Melbourne. Born: Aug. 8, 1981 (Age 36) Grand slam titles: 19 (Australian Open 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2017, French Open 2009, Wimbledon 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2017 US Open 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008) Federer will start as the favourite to retain his Australian Open title and is coming off an extraordinary 2017 season, which also saw him lift a record eighth title at Wimbledon. The 36-year-old has made an impressive start to the campaign, winning all his four singles matches at the Hopman Cup and combining with Belinda Bencic to win Switzerland their first title since 2001. His bid for a 20th career grand slam title will be aided by the absences of Andy Murray and Kei Nishikori, as well as lingering injuries to other top players in the field such as Rafa Federer still the man to bbeat Nadal, Stan Wawrinka and Novak Djokovic. RAFA NADAL (SPAIN) World ranking: 1 REUTERS Roger Federer will a knee problem after losing his Born: June 3, 1986 (Age 31) TOP WOMEN’S CONTENDERS saddle up for a 19th opening match. Grand slam titles: 16 (Australian Open 2009, French MELBOURNE: It might be argued time in the main draw He missed warmup events in Open 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, SIMONA HALEP (ROMANIA) that 36-year-old fathers of four Abu Dhabi and Brisbane but 2014, 2017, Wimbledon 2008, 2010, US Open 2010, 2013, World ranking: 1 have no business winning grand at Melbourne Park, appeared untroubled in an exhi- 2017) Born: Sept. 27, 1991 (Age 26) slam titles but try telling that to looking to frustrate bition match win over Austrian The Spaniard enjoyed a stellar 2017, winning grand slams Grand slam titles: 0 Roger Federer as the evergreen ‘Generation Next’ once world number five Dominic Thiem at Roland Garros and Flushing Meadows and reclaiming the WTA match record in 2018 (won-lost): 5-0 Swiss bids to claim a record- again and defend the at Melbourne Park yesterday. world number one ranking. After rising to the top of the rankings at the end equalling sixth Australian Open If fit and firing, 2009 cham- He returns to Melbourne, where he lost a thrilling five- of last year, top seed Halep has continued her ruth- crown in two weeks’ time. title he won last year pion Nadal will be hard to beat but set final to Roger Federer last year, hoping to continue the less form to win the season-opening Shenzhen Open Federer will saddle up for a during a stunning needs to bring something new to progress he made in 2017 under coach Carlos Moya, after his trophy. The Romanian, who reached the quarter-finals 19th time in the main draw at Mel- comeback from knee the court if he ends up facing Fed- uncle and lifelong mentor Toni Nadal decided to step down at Melbourne Park in 2014 and 2015, now has the bourne Park, looking to frustrate surgery. erer, who won all four of their at the end of last season. chance to win her maiden grand slam title and assert ‘Generation Next’ once again and matches last year. Nadal’s preparations for the first grand slam of the year her dominance after first-round exits in the last two defend the title he won last year Year after year the bright have been far from ideal, having not featured in a competi- editions. during a stunning comeback from path through the draw is far from sparks and ‘Next Big Things’ have tive match since he withdrew from the World Tour Finals in knee surgery. straightforward. been denied by the ‘Big Four’ at November with a knee injury. ELINA SVITOLINA (UKRAINE) No such queries hang over his Danger lurks at almost every the slams. World ranking: 4 fitness this year and if bookmakers corner, with former Wimbledon Even with Murray and Novak NOVAK DJOKOVIC (SERBIA) Born: Sept. 12, 1994 (Age 23) are to be believed the other 127 finalist Milos Raonic and a resur- Djokovic out of the frame for World ranking: 14 Grand slam titles: 0 men in the draw will be fighting gent Juan Martin Del Potro, the much of 2017 due to injury, ‘Gen Born: May 22, 1987 (Age 30) WTA match record in 2018 (won-lost): 5-0 for the scraps from Federer’s plate. man who beat Federer for the Next’ once again failed to make Grand slam titles: 12 (Australian Open 2008, 2011, Svitolina won five singles titles last season and has On immediate form, few could 2009 US Open title, looming as inroads at the four tournaments 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, French Open 2016, Wimbledon 2011, started the current campaign in fine form by winning argue. threats before the that really count. 2014, 2015, US Open 2011, 2015) her 10th career title at the Brisbane International, drop- Federer, seeded second, quarter-finals. Most bookmakers see third After an extended spell on the sidelines with an elbow ping just one set in the process. The Ukrainian has not arrives for a first round match Yet few would be surprised if seed Grigor Dimitrov as the best injury, Djokovic returned with a convincing victory over Dominic fared well at grand slams and will be eager to get past against mid-ranked Slovenian the tournament ends in a repeat chance among them to make a Thiem at the Kooyong Classic exhibition event earlier this the third round at Melbourne Park for the first time. Aljaz Bedene after cruising of last year’s final with Federer up breakthrough in Melbourne, but week. through an undefeated run at the against his great Spanish rival and still rate the Bulgarian lower than The 12-times grand slam winner is hoping to get back VENUS WILLIAMS (US) Hopman Cup. top seed Rafa Nadal. Djokovic, who brings a major to his best after a forgettable 2017, which included an early World ranking: 5 His major rivals, meanwhile, The pair split the four grand query over his serving elbow, is exit at the Australian Open and a quarter-final demise at Born: June 17, 1980 (Age 37) are either carrying injuries or slam trophies between them last seeded 14th and has barely swung Roland Garros before his season ended in the last eight at Grand slam titles: 7 (Wimbledon 2000, 2001, returning from them, or in the case year, with Nadal, at 31, finishing a racquet in six months. Wimbledon in July due to an injury. 2005, 2007, 2008, US Open 2000, 2001) of ‘Big Four’ cohort Andy Murray, the season as the ATP rankings’ While Melbourne Park Djokovic, who is currently tied with Roy Emerson as the Veteran Williams is among the top contenders ruled out because of them. oldest world number one. maestro Djokovic will bid for a most successful men’s singles champions at Melbourne, will to win her eighth grand slam and first Australian Open A magical 20th slam might Like Federer, Nadal has pared record seventh Australian Open launch his bid for an outright record seventh title against title following a successful campaign last year, where seem a formality for a player who back his playing schedule to pro- title, those fans hoping for a American Donald Young in the first round. she finished runner-up at Melbourne Park, Wimbledon did it all in last year’s tournament long his career but the strain still shake-up of the establishment and the WTA Finals, in the absence of her sister Serena. with the shortest of run-ups, but showed when he pulled out of the may look to 20-year-old Alex- STAN WAWRINKA (SWITZERLAND) The 37-year-old has lost to her sister in two previous on closer inspection, Federer’s ATP Tour Finals in November with ander Zverev after his stellar 2017. World ranking: 9 Australian Open finals. Born: March 28, 1985 (Age 32) Grand slam titles: 3 (Australian Open 2014, French CAROLINE WOZNIACKI (DENMARK) Open 2015, US Open 2016) World ranking: 2 The 2014 Australian Open champion is coming off knee Born: July 11, 1990 (Age 27) Women’s singles an open surgery and was forced to withdraw from the Tiebreak Tens Grand slam titles: 0 exhibition event earlier this week with a shoulder injury. WTA match record in 2018 (won-lost): 4-1 Wawrinka, a three-times grand slam winner, made the Wozniacki is showing no signs of slowing down stage at Melbourne Park final four in Melbourne last year before losing to eventual since winning her 27th singles title at the ATP Finals champion Roger Federer in a five-set showdown. last October as the Dane charged to the Auckland REUTERS He became the oldest man to reach the Roland Garros Classic final, where she lost to Julia Goerges after a final last year at the age of 32 on the back of a few sublime tough match.